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It's Fun to Play the Piano ... Please Pass It On!

Will be there on Saturday with Elaine and looking forward to meeting you all. I will not be able to stay for Sunday because I have to be back In Connecticut. Just found out cruise prices will be going up by about 10 - 20 percent on the 25th so call me if interested at 860-887-6481. I think this can become an annual event.

All of our wonderful hosts, Roberta and Ed, Marilyn and Keith, Helga and John, and Kathy and Tom very graciously open up all their lovely homes and pianos to us.

It looks like a large group is coming this year and the hosts can use our support with food or drink donations of all kinds. Food is served throughout the day on Saturday as well as Sunday morning. It seems as if piano playing and listening whets the appetite.

It's great to learn that Kathy and Tom Howes will once again be able to host the Sunday portion of our Cape Cod weekend. I encourage them to break free of their own preparations and join the Saturday fun on Freeman Lane.

This year the driving directions are somewhat complicated by work on the Sagamore Bridge. This job may have been shovel ready but it has not been traveler friendly. The Army Corps of Engineers is replacing the bridge deck and that work usually has 2 lanes of the Sagamore Bridge shut down and has greatly affected traffic patterns. The problem is worst going off Cape during commuting hours, but delays of an hour or more are common. Hopefully you will be traveling during off peak hours and the officials will make some provisions for Columbus weekend traffic.

From the south or west I 95 (CT turnpike) to Providence, I 195 to I 495 which becomes Rt 25, cross the canal on the Bourne Bridge, go around the Bourne rotary to the last exit before the bridge then follow the signs to Rt 6 (the mid cape highway).

Get off Rt 6 at X 12, turn right at the end of the ramp, to the first traffic light (less than one block), [the Skaket Beach Motel is on your right], turn right at the light onto Eldridge Parkway, after two more traffic lights Eldridge Parkway becomes Tonset Rd. Follow Tonset for 2 miles to Freeman Lane, bear left on Freeman for about 1/4 mi, we are the first house on the right (51 Freeman Lane) after the Snow Point turn around. The party begins around noon on Saturday at the Harrisons at the end of Uncle Jim's lane (#15) which is the first right turn after our house.

If you are coming from the west get onto I 495 and follow the directions above from I 495.

If you are coming from the north then Rt 3 south normally is the best bet. But you may want to consider avoiding Rt 3 South by taking Rt 128 to Rt 24 South to I 495 and crossing the canal on the Bourne Bridge. Or take a chance on the bridge and follow RT 3 to the new flyover and the one open lane across the Sagamore Bridge onto Rt 6. Then get off at exit 12 as above.

One source of traffic reports is SmarTraveler Boston. Please make an allowance for traffic delays.

"The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has announced it will adjust the work schedule on the Sagamore Bridge for the next three weekends to relieve traffic backups that have plagued motorists coming and going from Cape Cod."

"For the Columbus Day holiday weekend, a second lane will be open coming onto the Cape from 2 p.m. Oct. 9 through 5 a.m. Oct. 11. A second lane of traffic on the bridge will be open leaving the Cape from 11 a.m. Oct. 11 through 10 a.m. Oct. 13."

This should be good news especially for those coming from the north including Boston, Lowell and Maine. Rt 3 and the Sagamore Bridge is likely to be the best way to get to Rt 6. Good traveling, drive safely.

Thanks for the directions and Elaine and I look foward to meeting all of you. I will be at a travel show in Atlantic City from 6-9 but will probably get some rest before heading out Saturday morning. Have to be back in CT on Sunday so unfortunately will miss the great brunch. Maybe next year. By the way there is still space on the cruise in March. Wny not join us.

I thought it might be a good plan to set up a few name tags for PW members. If anyone would care to have a nifty little laminated PW name tag, let me know by PM.

Ok, let's talk food once again.

My thoughts would be to have Ed make some suggestions for what the host families would like to request. After the request has been provided, others can sign up for a particular item.

Or if there is a specific goodie you'd like to bring along, perhaps guests could make mention of what they would like to contribute.

I would like to contribute a Fumi Salad for Saturday and a couple of cran/banana breads for Sunday.

On another note... I have rented a house in Wellfleet and would like to extend an invitation to everyone a chance to gather Friday evening. I guess we could refer to it as a "play-off" to the weekend since hopefully a small vintage Henry Miller grand will be at our location in Wellfleet.

Our housemates include the very talented Lilylady; the one and only Mr PianoWorld and his lovely friend, Kathy!!!

If you are interested in an early start to the weekend and would like to head on over for a pre-piano gathering, I'll provide an address and my cellphone number through a PM.

Lets not get too complicated Frank, vying for the piano is part of the fun. The Saturday hosts had an informal (over homemade pizza) planning meeting this evening and did not want any rules on who gets to play.

We (the hosts) are in party mode and we hope that everybody is ready for the best Cape Cod Piano Party ever. By the way, the food that is being planned is super. Yum

I've always liked the "play when you want" system. If I were to walk in and draw #1 out of a hat, I wouldn't play. Some people need some time to relax before playing.

It can be intimidating for some of us to play in front of the rest of you. We sound great when playing the piano alone at home, but sit down with 40 people staring at you...and forget it! And telling us, "Oh, just don't think about it."...well, you just don't understand!

I consider myself an accompanist, not a solo performer. So, if anyone would like to sing or play an instrument along with the piano...bring your music and I'll hack through it!

Plus, who goes to these parties to play the piano? It's all about the food!

I've always liked the "play when you want" system. If I were to walk in and draw #1 out of a hat, I wouldn't play. Some people need some time to relax before playing.

It can be intimidating for some of us to play in front of the rest of you. We sound great when playing the piano alone at home, but sit down with 40 people staring at you...and forget it! And telling us, "Oh, just don't think about it."...well, you just don't understand!

I consider myself an accompanist, not a solo performer. So, if anyone would like to sing or play an instrument along with the piano...bring your music and I'll hack through it!

Plus, who goes to these parties to play the piano? It's all about the food!

AND

Party we shall!I am sure that once we kick Frank off the pianos, there will be plenty of time for the rest of us! (just teasing FB!)

"WE" all know what you mean about the nerves and playing. I'll make sure you and Terry have a glass of wine first, Eric!

Planning on bringing the 'famous' home grown/made salsa, some stuffed mildly/hot home grown peppers with proscuitto and feta cheese in olive oil for hors d'heuvres and oatmeal raison cookies and maybe an herbal pasta dish as well. Hey - the garden is bountiful right now.

Anyone want daylilies this year?

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"Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and life to everything."

Planning on bringing the 'famous' home grown/made salsa, some stuffed mildly/hot home grown peppers with proscuitto and feta cheese in olive oil for hors d'heuvres and oatmeal raison cookies and maybe an herbal pasta dish as well. Hey - the garden is bountiful right now.

I'm excited by the buzz of activity. I'm telling my son he will be playing on on different fine pianos. I'm hoping to make that an exciting adventure. Which one will he like the best? That is my approach anyway to heighten his interest... we will see if it entices him. It turns out we are staying in North Truro along the beach so we will be doing some traveling down the cape for the Sat gathering. We are staying through Monday and are bringing the bikes on the back of the car. It might be a little rainy until Sat afternoon, but then looks good for the rest of the weekend.